Recollections Series: Story One
by StarkBlack
Summary: For insipid gnome 19. The first in a series of past events in the 'Memories' universe. This is set just a few weeks before things start changing. Rated M only for language.


This short is for **insipid gnome 19** for taking the time to review each and every chapter of all my One Piece fics. Even if she's doing it for everyone, I still think that takes an amazing amount of patience and awesomeness.

I've been toying with this idea for a while. Ever since I first started Memories I planned on going back and writing the details of the beginnings of Zoro and Sanji's relationship. It didn't really hit me how to do it though until recently. I'm really happy with how I plan on doing it, and I hope you all are too.

This is the first of the series, and is set back in the day when our boys were trying to kill each other for real. (This is NOT one of the transitional fics that lead into the sequel, just to be clear.)

Again, thank you **insipid**, and I hope you like it. :)

**Disdain**

"Oh my God, Luffy! Just separate them!" Nami whispered loudly.

"Why?" Luffy didn't look away from the television as he was blown to bits by Usopp's grenade. "They're not hurting anyone."

Nami's fist came down on the younger Portgus' head. "They're going to hurt _each other!_"

"Ouch!" Luffy complained, rubbing his head. "No they won't. Zoro and Sanji love fighting each other."

Nami felt heat rising to her cheeks. Her temper was nearing its blast-off point, and her boyfriend was being a _retard_ again. Sanji had been cooking dinner when Zoro had happened to walk through the space with Chopper. There wasn't really a choice in the matter if one wanted to get to the porch, but Sanji had taken it as a personal offense that the swordsman had walked through the kitchen when he was cooking. Now the two were facing off, Zoro's hands gripping the polished wood of the island, and Sanji standing by the sink, grinding an unlit cigarette between his teeth.

There really was no reason for the whole thing. Zoro hadn't done anything wrong, and Sanji hadn't really provoked in any way, but the two had some kind of dangerous magnetism. It was like the universe called for their mutual dislike to manifest into palpable hatred when they were in close proximity of each other.

"M… maybe we should do something, Luffy." Usopp's voice was small as it tended to get when Nami was angry. "Kaya will be home in an hour, and if they've broken something, her surprise party's not gonna be so awesome."

"I'm pretty sure if I went in there, stuff would get broken anyway."

Instead of bopping Luffy on the head again, (it wasn't likely to make any difference anyway) Nami turned on her heel, and decided to look for her idiot boyfriend's idiot brother.

"Ace!" she shouted. "Ace, where are you!"

Unfortunately, Ace had fallen asleep on the couch in the front room. Vivi was sitting quietly next to him, running her fingers through his hair. When Nami burst in, the blonde had immediately removed her hand, placing it back in her own lap.

Nami laughed to herself, despite the problem at hand. Really, who were they kidding? Who didn't know about the two of them?

"Vivi," Nami growled, "wake him up. Sanji and Zoro are about to rumble in the kitchen."

Vivi's eyes went wide. "What?"

"They're making the crazy eyes at each other again. I don't mean to stop them, it's just if they break anything in Kaya's new kitchen, I'll have to kill them both." She turned on her heel once again, and started back down the hall. "Besides, Zoro already owes me two-hundred bucks. He doesn't have enough money to pay her back!"

Back in the kitchen, Chopper was frantically trying to get Zoro to back off. He had his small hands on Zoro's chest and he was murmuring in that soothing tone he had adopted in his first year of medical school.

"…and I promise, he won't do anything until you get outside. Just go, just walk through the door. The yard is way bigger. Way better for a fight, right? Lots of room, lot's of space. Come on, it's okay..."

Nami had already said her piece and they hadn't listened. Threats of paying for damages hadn't stopped Zoro, and the pressure of having Kaya's affections lessened hadn't made Sanji even blink. They were really out for blood this time, and Nami was genuinely concerned.

"You won't get a chance, shitty swordsman," Sanji hissed. "I'll smash your head in before you can get outside."

Zoro growled and pushed against Chopper. "Just try it, you fucking pansy-ass cook."

"What'd you say, asshole? I'll kill y-"

"Okay!" Ace stopped Sanji before he could go vaulting over the island. He put a strong arm around the blond's shoulders and pulled the slighter man close. "Time to go outside! We don't want to break anything when Kaya's only been living here for three days, and Nami looks like she's about to explode. Let's go."

He pushed Zoro through the sliding glass doors, and pulled the cook along with him. No sooner had the three reached the outside, than Zoro had hoisted himself over the deck's railing, and Sanji had vaulted after him. Obscenities started flying, and Nami grimaced in anticipation of angry phone calls if any of the neighbors could hear.

She moved to stand with Ace and Chopper, watching as limbs started flying. Gradually, the shouting stopped, and all that was left was the sound of fists and feet hitting muscled flesh.

"Wow…" Chopper breathed.

"I know," Ace commented. "It scares me sometimes how they just tear into each other… But it's so cool to watch."

"I think they're both mutants," Chopper said quietly.

"Well, I think they're both idiots," Nami grumbled.

The three watched as Sanji and Zoro battled it out for another ten or fifteen minutes. Finally, the punches came slower, and the kicks lost some of their jarring force. Both men were barely sweating, but their skin was flushed, and they panted heavily.

When Ace started to chuckle, Nami turned to him. "What the hell is so funny?"

Grinning, Ace turned to her and said in a low voice. "Don't you think that after Sanji and Zoro fight each other, they look like they've just had really, really amazing sex?"

Nami didn't want to look, but she did anyway. She felt her cheeks reddening as she saw the obvious heat in Zoro's eyes, and the flash of teeth as Sanji's lips pulled into a devilish smile.

Yeah… yeah they sort of did.

"You're stupid," she muttered.

She turned around to head back into the house, Ace's laughter following her through the doorway.

**END **


End file.
